The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 finally hits the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 25, 2024. After a long journey marked by Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the deal has culminated in a major milestone for Xbox: the integration of Call of Duty into its ecosystem on launch day. This move not only reflects the strategic importance of the acquisition but also highlights Microsoft’s intent to strengthen Xbox’s position in the gaming market by delivering blockbuster titles directly to its subscribers.
According to the official Xbox website, the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise is now available to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. As of today, players can access the game across Xbox consoles, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Warzone are also live on the cloud, making this one of the most expansive releases for Xbox Game Pass.
Set in the 1990s during the Gulf War, Black Ops 6 follows rogue agents Troy Marshall and Frank Woods as they race to stop Pantheon, a shadowy organization that has infiltrated the CIA, from triggering a global catastrophe. Developed by Treyarch, the game offers a new multiplayer experience and marks the return of the beloved Zombies mode.
The addition of Black Ops 6 is a significant milestone for Xbox Game Pass, further expanding the service’s game library. While previous day-one launches like Halo Infinite and Starfield were notable, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 brings a different level of excitement.
However, making the game available on Game Pass is expected to impact sales negatively. Industry analysts suggest up to six million lost sales may occur. Despite this, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter predicts that the launch could boost subscriptions, estimating an increase of three to four million subscribers. Meanwhile, Piers Harding-Rolls from Ampere Analysis offers a more conservative outlook, anticipating a 10% increase, or about 2.5 million new sign-ups.
In addition to being available through Game Pass, Black Ops 6 is also available for purchase on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation platforms, giving players multiple ways to access the game.
